The move comes after a 50 percent increase in a
homeland security grant was announced earlier this year, translating
to $153 million.

"The show of force will no doubt make many
riders feel safer, although some weren't sure how much of a difference
it will make." reports ABC.

If you believe six storm troopers pointing massive
machine guns at passengers makes them feel safer I've got a bridge
I want to sell you.

(Article continues below)

"They will look similar to the NYPD's heavily
armed hercules teams, which have showed up guarding city landmarks
since the 9/11 attacks." ABC reminds us, slipping in the
now ubiquitous 9/11 reference point, in case you'd forgotten that
evil muslim terrorists want you dead.

Meanwhile CBS
tells us "In this age of heightened security, commuters and
keen canines will share the underground world of mass transit."

Though the "Torch Teams", presumably so
called because they "shine a light" on evil terror in
the dark and dangerous underground, are officially the first of
their kind, the idea was road tested in late 2005 with TSA
VIPER squads patrolling mass transit facilities in
major cities conducting searches and checking ID's.

The move coincided with a
federal judge's ruling that police had a constitutional
right to randomly search passengers' bags on the New York City
subway to deter terrorist attacks.

Though the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
prohibits searches without probable cause, the judge declared
searches to be only a "minimal intrusion" of privacy.

Presumably the same gross violations of the Fourth
will be within the remit of the new "torch teams" and
you will be treated as a terrorist suspect and be forced to comply
with their orders for your own safety.

The pretext for these jackboot subway patrols came
in October 2005 when authorities in New York announced
a major terror alert on the underground.

Police temporarily shut down parts of the transit
system after a soda bottle filled with a substance resembling
the household cleaner Drano was found near an Amtrak ticket counter,
the announcement said.

However, it emerged that there was never any corroboration
of any terror threat, merely some rumor about it having originated
in Iraq:

"the plot to bomb city subways with remote-controlled
explosives has not been corroborated after days of investigation,
law-enforcement officials said Sunday amid an easing sense of
concern."

This did not seem to matter as all the key phrases,
"bombs", "subway" "New York" "Terrorists"
"Iraq" "Afghanistan" and "Al Qaeda"
steamrolled the incident into becoming a brand new terror alert.

The random bag searches ensued. Even small children with pink
My Little Pony bags were considered possible terrorists.

Everyone can see that this activity is absurd and
contemptible, and that is the point. We are being acclimatized
to consider this as normal and it's working, the typical reaction
is simply, "oh well that's the way it has to be in order
for everyone to be safe". The lazy and selfish reaction to
this climate of fear is severely damaging our society, the masses
are sleepwalking towards a police state, they see it, but it doesn't
register.

The VIPER and Torch teams have nothing to do with
preventing terrorism, they are there to get people to cower and
accept they are under control. There has been no new intelligence
indicating that terrorists are interested in targeting transportation
modes, these programs are rolled out regardless.

Perhaps the subway stormtroopers will start taking
a leaf out of the books of Canadian police and start tasering
passengers who try to avoid paying fares.

The federal government has ensured that the very
same people who grope
pregnant women and make 90-year-old men remove their
shoes in airports are now going to be on American streets and
subways.

Only through constant activism, lobbying and vigilance
can we escort martial law away from American shores and live peacefully
in a society where we do not cower in fear of the armed security
guard barking orders at us when simply walking down the street,
"citizen, show me your papers."